Overview

SIBO diets

Medically reviewed by:

Dr John Freeman

We want to make something clear.

No diet can cure SIBO. However, some may help alleviate symptoms and reduce the chance of relapse after treatment.

SIBO involves an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. You cannot ‘starve off’ the bacteria.

Diets have a place in symptom management, and we explore them here.

It is a basic principle in medicine that you should not treat symptoms but look beyond that and treat the cause. Dietary methods to control SIBO are simply treating symptoms, which may have a short-term effect, but are not treating the underlying cause and will not produce long-term results as the symptoms will recur.
Dr John Freeman FRACP

Find out more >

Low FODMAPs diet

The low FODMAPs diet involves reducing the number of fermentable carbohydrates you consume.

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. There are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly. Therefore, a low FODMAP diet may be helpful in temporarily relieving SIBO sufferers symptoms.

A low FODMAPs diet is only recommended for a limited amount of time.

SIBO diet

The SIBO diet is similar to the Low FODMAPs diet. You aim to limit foods high in sugars and fermentable carbohydrates. We have outlined it here.

Elimination diet

The elimination diet is less applicable to those with SIBO than a Low FODMAPs diet or the SIBO diet.
However, the elimination diet shouldn’t be dismissed as food intolerance may be a root cause of SIBO for some.

An elimination diet is a structured plan that excludes certain foods or groups of foods thought to cause an adverse food reaction in specific individuals. It is a mechanism for getting to the bottom of what is often known as food intolerance.